2024-11-26 12:00:00
LGBT+ people more often experience discrimination, physical and psychological violence, which impacts their mental health, notes Psycom. A new file brings together different resources intended for this population.
If LGBT+ people have won important rights in recent years, the greater freedom in asserting identities and sexualities has also given rise to more visible reactions of mistrust. Many schools of thought continue to view different sexualities as shocking or dangerous. There Stigmatization of LGBT+ people is not systematic, but it persists in various contexts: in family, at school, at work, in the street and among friends. It is a source of suffering for those affected. In this context, this file, written by Ana Waalder, independent journalist specializing in health and Estelle Saget, journalist and editorial manager of Psycom, takes stock of the situation and brings together suitable resources.
According to Psycom, scientific studies agree that LGBT+ people experience mental health problems more frequently than the population as a whole. This is due to the stigma and discrimination they experience. They also experience more precariousness and lower income, all circumstances which constitute an additional challenge for mental health.
On average, they have lower self-esteem and more often experience stress, anxiety and depressive episodes. Furthermore, they use drugs more often, experience addictions, post-traumatic stress disorder and self-harm more often. We also see a greater number of suicides among LGBT+ people.
In this context, “there is no inevitability, however, each person having their own trajectory and being able to find different ways of preserving their mental health”, underline the authors, who offer a selection of strategies frequently used by affected people or recommended by mental health professionals: call a helpline, get closer to other LGBT+ people, find a collective… Finally, resources are offered to those around people concerned (parents, colleagues, professionals).
Summary of this file:
• Why mental health is more complicated when you are LGBT+
A long history of prejudice
One acronym, a great diversity of people
More common mental health problems
Differences, sources of judgment and violence
Being part of a minority, a stress factor
• What influences the mental health of LGBT+ people
Internalized homophobia
Minimizing violence
The need to hide one’s difference
The opportunity to come out or not
When you are trans
• Signs to pay attention to, for yourself or others
• And sexuality in all this?
• Strategies for helping yourself
Call a crisis line
Get closer to other LGBT+
Join a discussion group
Find the collective that suits us
Practicing sporting activities
Watch series on LGBT+ themes
Delving into LGBT+ history
Land in safe places
Seek an LGBT+ friendly environment for work
Consult LGBT+ supportive caregivers
Report violence or discrimination
• How to help an LGBT+ person
I am a parent
I am a colleague
I am a caregiver
• The mental health of LGBT+ people, a report by Ana Waalder and Estelle Saget, Psycom, 2024. Image: Sandrine Bounini for Psycom.
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